They’re being used in a variety of ways, from surveying agriculture to delivering your on line orders...to even herding sheep.
That’s right, we're talking about drones. Maybe you've seen the hovering camera if you've visited a park or zoo recently.
They’re also being used on the front lines of wildlife conservation. But as Jeanne Moos reports, some animals are a little camera-shy.
--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS--
HOW MANY CHIMPS DOES IT TAKE TO DOWN A DRONE? ONE, PLUS A BRANCH. WATCH A MIDDLE AGE FEMALE NAMED TUSHI GET OFF HER TUSH AND WHACK THAT SUCKER AT BURGERS' ZOO IN THE NETHERLANDS.
(Bas Lukkenaar/Spokesman, Burgers' Zoo) "She hit it spot on and well it collapsed."
ZOO SPOKESMAN BOSS LUKE-EN-ARE SAW IT HAPPEN AND WAS FLABBERGASTED. THEY WERE SHOOTING AN EPISODE FOR A TV SHOW ABOUT THE ZOO.
(Jeanne Moos/Reporting) "The chimps in the tree didn't just happen to be holding branches. zoo officials said they armed themselves against the drone."
TUSHI IS NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING A GOOD ARM FOR THROWING THINGS. THE DRONE, WORTH A LITTLE OVER 2-THOUSAND BUCKS, WAS DEMOLISHED.
(Bas Lukkenaar/Spokesman, Burgers' Zoo) "That was a bummer."
BUT IT WASN'T A BUMMER FOR THE CHIMPS ON THE GROUND WHO TOOK SOME ULTRA CLOSE UP SELFIES..."CHIMPANSELFIES", AS THE ZOO CALLS THEM. BUT THE CHIMPS GOT BORED WITH THE CAMERA A LOT FASTER THAN HUMANS DO.
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REMEMBER WHEN GO PRO CAMERAS WERE ALWAYS GETTING STOLEN BY CREATURES LIKE OCTOPUSES. SO PASSE. NOW CRITTERS HAVE BRANCHED OUT TO DRONES. FROM A GOLF COURSE GOOSE TO A SWARM OF BEES ATTACKING A DRONE FROM A FLORIDA TV STATION.
(Voice of Carl Pugliese/CBS12 News Operations Manager) "When you see the video it looked like you know Star Wars."
THEN THERE WAS THE NEW ZEALAND RAM NAMED RAMBRO WHO RAMMED A DRONE..
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(Jeanne Moos/Reporting) "The funny thing is that when the drone operator came face to face with the ram he acted like the chimp."
AS THE OWNER RETRIEVED HIS DOWNED DRONE HE USED A STICK...
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TO WARD OFF RAMBRO....JUST LIKE YOU KNOW WHO. TUSHI REMINDED US OF ANOTHER APE BEING BUZZED....
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KING KONG EVENTUALLY LOST HIS PERCH...BUT TUSHI, WELL
(Bas Lukkenaar/Spokesman, Burgers' Zoo) "Well these chimpanzees have outclevered the humans."
IT'S HARD NOT TO DRONE ON ABOUT HOW SMART SHE IS.
JEANNE MOOS CNN NEW YORK.